Registration open for national grazing conference

Registration is open for the fourth National Conference on Grazing Lands to be held in Reno Dec. 13-16.

The conference is hosted by the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, and will facilitate the exchange of information on successful cutting edge grazing management technologies.

Cost to register is $315 before the conference or $115 a day, for those who don't want to attend the entired conference.

Grazing lands make up between two-thirds and three-fourths of the national land base.

The wise management of these lands has environmental and economic implications that exceed common perception or understanding, according to initiative Chairman Bob Drake.

"Any serious student or practitioner of conservation, land use or ecosystem management cannot reasonably ignore the importance of grazing lands," he said. "The sheer quantity of land involved demands a serious dialogue among ranchers, conservationists, educators, environmentalists, economists, government agencies and land managers. We need to share our understanding of the theory and practical application of grazing land functions and opportunities."

One thing that sets the conference apart from other conferences is its focus on ranchers and farmers as presenters.

"We know experts come from academia, government, and the non-profit world and we welcome them all, but we also look for the 'cowboy expert' who has gained his - or her - expertise through long hours with livestock and first-hand exposure to all sorts of elements-natural, economic and political," Drake said.

In conjunction with hosting the conference in Reno, the initiative will give increased focus to western grazing issues.

However, the conference will continue its past format of providing information along four tracks that will also include eastern, central and western grazing lands and dairy grazing land management issues.

Some of the issues to be highlighted include the value of rotational grazing and of riparian habitat, carbon sequestration, and the flexibility within grazing systems.

Registration information and exhibitor opportunities are available at www.glci.org